Turkey is expected to be elected as a dialogue partner at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in a summit to be held in Russia’s St. Petersburg on Nov. 7.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared that it supports Turkey being given the status of “dialogue partner” in the organization. In the same summit India and Pakistan are expected to get full membership, whereas Afghanistan is likely to be offered observer status. Ankara submitted its official application for admission as a “dialogue partner” to the secretary-general of the SCO in April.

According to sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Russia wants Turkey to be inside the SCO. And Ankara, which wants to develop multi-dimensional relations with the countries in Central Asia, and particularly with Russia, finds it important in view of its foreign policy to be in close cooperation with regional organizations. Ankara is not expected to be represented in the summit in St. Petersburg with a high-level presence. The SCO, established in 2001 by Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, decided during its Astana summit in June, which brought together heads of state, to make further efforts at expansion by admitting new members.